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Vintage Feminist Stickers Call Out Sexist Subway Ads

Body-shaming ads are being shamed.

Tasbeeh Herwees
By Tasbeeh HerweesJun 24, 2015
Tasbeeh Herwees
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Feminist groups have been sticker bombing sexist and misogynistic subway ads in New York with replicas of retro stickers that read “This Oppresses Women”. The stickers, distributed by National Women’s Liberation and Redstockings, a national feminist think-tank, were originally printed in 1969. These orgs are bringing them back to life to target the many, many Metro advertisements that use body-shaming language and airbrushed images of women’s bodies to promote breast augmentation surgeries and weight loss programs.

"Women are sick of being bombarded with advertisements that depict women only as sexual objects," Erin Mahoney, an activist with National Women's Liberation, told The Huffington Post. "That use our bodies to sell products. That embolden men to disrespect us. That tell us we are not worthy unless we conform to unrealistic, sexist, racist, and unhealthy beauty standards. Women are fighting back and using [the 'This Oppresses Women'] vintage sticker to do it. It's exciting."

People are posting photos of the activist stickers on Twitter and Instagram, tagged with the hashtag #thisoppresseswomen.

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